Why the fascination with *That* movie?
Why the fascination with *That* movie?
A few readers have asked why I chose that particular 80s film to influence one of my main characters. (hint for those who don’t know: the movie has the word “breakfast” in it)
The BOOK part:
Making real, loyal friends is a socially complex process. For autistic people who already feel like they’re classified as Other if not total outcasts, the process is somewhat mysterious. To me, it made sense that Keegan would see a movie about a diverse group making real connections and choose to use it as a template. (It also made sense that a topic such as breakfast would be what drew him to it in the first place. Aside from a special interest in gluten-free pancakes, he’s looking for a system that unlocks the mysteries of socialization and acceptance.) He wants to be part of a club and finally be on the inside of something—even if he has to create it himself. The title of the story is a bit of a funhouse mirror reflection of the film’s name. It’s still very much it’s own story and it’s own kind of club. The movie isn’t required viewing in order to understand the story.
The WRITER part:
As creative person who grew up in the 80s, I’ve spent some time over-analyzing that show. In terms of story structure and general audience attention span, I’m not sure how it worked. There wasn’t a lot of plot. It was a group of teens who, for the most part, hung out and talked. No car chases. No explosions. Maybe a tiny element of saving the day, but on a relatively small scale compared to an alien invasion or war, etc. I still don’t entirely get the appeal. It doesn’t represent a cross-section of a generation. (Not a lot of diversity in that cast, right?) But it was a cultural snapshot of a segment of the population during that time. Ah ha! Self-imposed creative challenge accepted!
For me, The Insiders Club is simply a cultural snapshot of a small segment of the population now. It presents a variety of viewpoints (right down to the language used to express them) about a shared experience: being connected in some way to the word “autism.” The experience of being autistic isn’t uniform. So I dove into what they might actually share: their feelings about society’s reaction to them. How it feels to live in a world full of assumptions and expectations (or lack thereof) is what gives them a sense of community. How the characters feel about themselves, other people who share the word as an identity, as well as the general public, will vary and shift over time. (just as it would within any population)
The beginning to this series allows me to consider a few more questions other than “Will they be friends on Monday?” because the stakes for my characters have many long-term, far-reaching effects.
I was surprised by a recent renewed interest in the movie. So much of what was socially accepted then (even in a grit your teeth and bare it kind of way), is met with disgust today.* But there’s something in the story that still captures teen attention. They’re still looking for the same things and dealing with an enormous amount of pressure. *(On a personal note: I hope some of the ideas presented in my book become outdated too.)
-Echo
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The hardcover is available now. Barnes & Noble has been giving the best customer experience thus far. I’ll be posting the release dates for the paperback version and the pre-order for the e-book very soon.